Apparatus for dehydrating oil.



F. W. McNEAR & P. E. BOWLES, JR.

APPARATUS FOR DEHYDRATING OIL.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 2. l9l6.

Patented Mar. 18, 1919.

+1: r WITNESSES: A INVENTORS F! 14 MC/VE/IR M F35. eon 1,55 J r. MQ

THE/l? A TTORNE Y5 FRED w. McNEAB, or MENLO .PARK, AND PHILIP E. BOWLES, 1a., or REWARD,

oamronma.

APPARATUS- ron DEHYDBATING OIL.

and State of California, and at Reward, in

the county of Kern and State of California,

have invented a certain new and useful Apparatus for Dehydrating Oil, of which the following is a specification- The invention relatesto an apparatus for separating water from emulsified oils, particularly those which come from oil wells.

An object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for efiiciently separating water from emulsified oil.

Another object of the invention is to pro-' vide an apparatus which is adjustable for efficient operation on emulsions of difi'erent percentages of water.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus 1n. which the separationis continuously and completely efi'ected thus obviating the necessity of using settling tanks for the water after treatment in the treatment tank.

The invention possesses other advantageous features, foregoing, will be set forth at length in the following description where we shall outline in full that form of the apparatus which we have selected for illustration in the drawing accompanying and forming part of the present specification. In the drawing we have shown one specific form of the apparatus of our invention, but it is to be understood that we do notlimit ourselves to such form, since the apparatus may be embodied in a plurality of forms without departing from the invention as expressed in the succeeding claims.

The drawing is a vertical apparatus.

The apparatus comprises a metallic tank 2, closed at the bottom and openat the top.

section of the Arranged in the tank in superposed relation 3, the

are a plurality of annular electrodes electrodes being formed so that they may be readily placed in or quickly removed from the tank when desired. Secured to or formed integral with each annular disk is a shoulder 4. which contacts with the side of the tank and depending from each disk is an apron 5 which rests upon the disk or shoulder next- ,below, or upon the tank bottom, thereby sup- Specification of Letters Patent.

respectively, at Menlo Park, in the county of San Mateo some of which, with the.

, Patented Mar. 18, 1919.

Application filed October 2, 1916. Serial No. 123,244.

porting the electrodes in position. The electrode units, comprisi and apron are prefera ly of the same size,

with the exception of the lower one, so that.

theke-lectrodes are spaced apart evenly in the tan Depending into the tank is a guide 6, upon winch are mounted a plurality of circular disk electrodes 7, these circular electrodes being of opposite sign to the annular electrodes. The circular electrodes are preferably slightly larger in diameter than the aperture in the annular electrodes, so that the electrodes overlap somewhat and so that their edges are adjacent. The spacing the disk, shoulder.

of the electrodes 4 and 7 preferably varies at difi'erent depths inthe tank, those at the top being closer together than thoseat the bottom. The emulsion of oil and water is introduced into the tank 2 through the pipe 8 which discharges through the head 9, arranged centrally within the tank below the lowest annular elect-rode 3. The emulsion passes up through the tank, between the electrodes 3 and 7 where it is subjected to the action of the electric current which sepa rates the oil from the water. As the emulsionpasses up through the tank, the percentage of oil therein increases, thereby increasing the electrical resistance of the emulsions On account ance it is preferable to arrange theupwardly success ve pairs together. In 'rder to'maintain this eifect and to accommodate emulsions of different percentagesof oil and water, thepairs of electrodes are movable with respect to each so that the distances between them this is preferably accomthe circularelectrodes other, may bevaried and plished by moving 7 vertically. The electrodes-7 are slidable.

on the guide 6 and are supported by vertically adjustable rods electrode hubs and passing through a stationary plate 13, the rods being threaded and provided with nuts to accomplish the of electrodes 3 and 7 closer.

.12 connected to the of this increasing resistadjustment. By this means the lengths of one orall of the current paths through the emulsion may be varied.

The guide 6 and circularelectrode supporting rods 12 are supported on a frame 14: preferably arranged supported on insulators 15, which are fixed on brackets 16 secured to.the tank. In order to permit the insertlon or withdrawal of the within the tank and V annular electrode units from the-tank, the upper portion 17 thereof isnof increased di ameter, so that the distance between the insulators is greaterthan the diameter of the annular electrode units. The oil from which the water has'been separated flows from the tank through the pipe 18, which is preferably arranged at such a point that the lnsulators are immersed in the .oil in the tank, the oil being a very eflicient insulator. The water which has been separated from the emulsion discharges through the pipe 19 which extends upward to such height that the column of water therein balances the column of'emulsion in the tank, The pipe 21, through which the water discharges, is turned up or down to adjust the height of the column of water in pipe 19 to maintain the level in the tank at the desired-point.

Alternating current from the power mains 23 is passed through the primary of a step up transformer 24 to raise it to the necessary potential and an inductive reactance 25 is placed in series, with said primary, for the purpose of limiting the amount of'current which may be drawn from the power mains.

One side of the secondary of the transformer is connected to the circular electrodes and the other side is grounded and the tank is also grounded. I

-VVe claim:

1. In an apparatus of the character described, a. tank having a conducting inner surface, a plurality of axially spaced annular electrodes in said tank connected to one side of a source of potential and electrically connected! to said conducting surface, and a plurality of disk electrodes connected to the other side of the source of potential and arranged between and spaced axially from the successive annular electrodes, the spaces between the annular electrodes being otherwise clear to permit the free flow of liquid through the successive annular electrodes and around the successive disks.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, a tank having a conducting inner shrface, a plurality of axially spaced electrodes in said tank forming t1 ht joints with said inner Surface, where passing throughsaid tank must pass through the apertures in said electrodes,- said electrodes being connected to one side of a source of potential, and a plurality of disk electrodes connected to the other side of the source of potential and arranged between and spaced axially from the annular. electrodes, tank'fiows past the. inner edges of the am nular' electrodes and the outer edges of the disk electrodes. j

3; In an apparatus of thecharacter described, a tankhaving a conducting inner surface, a plurality of axially spaced annular electrodes in said tank forming tight y liquid 1 whereby "liquid passing through the joints with said inner surfaceand electrically' connected to said inner surface and to one side of a source of potential, and a plurality of disk electrodes connected to the other side of the source of potential and arranged between and spacedaxiallyfrom the annular electrodes whereby liquid passing through the tank flows in a tortuous path the adjacent annular electrodes being equal at all points on said edges.

4. In an apparatus of the character dethe annular. elec scribed, a tank having a conducting inner surface, a plurality ln-g face, said electrodes being otherwise imperforat/e, saidannular electrodes being elecside of a source trically connected to one of potential, and a plurality of imperforate of annular electrodes in v said tank forming tigh t'joint's with andbeelectrically connected to said inner sur-' disk electrodes of lesser diameter, than the annular electrodes arranged. between and spaced axially from the annular electrodes and connected to the opposite side of said source of potential; whereby electrostatic fields are-set up between the disksand the annular electrodes and inner surface, the electrodesbeingarranged, so that the electromagnetic field is strongest between the outer edge of a disk and the inner edge of an adjacent annulus. Y

5. In anapparatus. of the character described, a tank, a plurality of electrodes of opposite sign arranged alternately and spaced apart vertically in said'tank, the distances beti'vveen the alternate electrodes decreasing upwardly.

6. In an apparatus of the character described, a tank, a plurality of annular electrodes spaced apart ver'tically in said tank and a plurality of circular electrodes arranged intermediately between said annular 8, In an apparatus of the character described, a tank having a co'nductinginner surface, a plurality of imperforate' annular electrodes in said tank forming tight joints with and being electrically connected to said inner surface, a rod supported at its up er end and depending in said tank, aplur ity of imperforate disk electrodes arranged on said rod and di ed between and spaced from; said annu ar electrodes and means.

connecting the disk and annular electrodes to opposite sides of ajsource of potential. v

9.. In an apparatus of the character described, a tank, spaced electrodes of oppo-- scribed, a tank, a plurality of electrodes arranged in said tank, a plurality of elec- 10. In an apparatus of the character described, a tank, a plurality of annular elecin said tank,

trodes spaced apart vertically electrodes of opposite sign arranged between the annular electrodes and a centrally arranged inlet pipe discharging below the lower annular electrode.

11. An apparatus for treating petroleum emulsion to separate the oil and the water, comprising a tank, means in the tank for separating the oil and water, an emulsion inlet pipe arranged in the bottom of the tank below said means, an oil discharge pipe arranged atthe top of the tankabove said means and a water discharge pipe arranged at the bottom of the tank below the discharge end of the emulsion inlet pipe.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set out hands.

FRED w. MCNEAR. PHILIP E. BOWLES, JR. 

